- Game Informer (93/100): "While I preferred the tight-knit story of brotherhood and betrayal in The Lost and Damned, The Ballad of Gay Tony delivers more explosive weapons, death-defying missions, and off-the-wall characters. Don't miss your chance to close out the GTA IV experience in style."
- IGN (92/100): "The Ballad of Gay Tony is the perfect way to close out the GTA IV saga. Finally, we know what happened to the diamonds stolen in the main story a year-and-a-half ago. Though Luis Lopez doesn't have much of a story at all (this is the ballad of his boss, after all), the supporting cast is phenomenal. There are a lot of hilarious moments and ludicrous missions that will please GTA fans. Sure, a few of the missions fall flat compared to the wild nature of others, but all-in-all this is a fine package and worth 20 bucks. "
- 1UP (A-): "This has been one hell of a ride. I'm going to miss seeing something new in Liberty City, as I've probably been to every available nook and cranny. I suppose I could still go hunting for those damn pigeons, but with so many other games coming out in the coming months, I don't know where I'll find the time... at least until Rockstar gives me a ticket to their next world of crime, violence, and vice."
- Eurogamer (80/100): "Perhaps Tony Prince does nothing to drag the series forward -- somewhat fittingly for a man with his head stuck in the eighties -- but the episode Rockstar has named in his honour is a colourful and pleasingly unpredictable adventure that gets better throughout and ends on a high."
Metareview: The Ballad of Gay Tony
63
The second and final "Episode from Liberty City," The Ballad of Gay Tony, has arrived. As the tale of Liberty City comes to a close, does The Ballad of Gay Tony present an exciting final act or an anti-climactic letdown? We'll let the critics at large weigh in on this one:
Reader Comments (63)
Posted: Oct 28th 2009 11:49PM (Unverified) said
I've never understood all the GTA IV hate. It's not perfect, but it's a goddamn good game.
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Posted: Oct 29th 2009 2:31AM pibs said
@Warlord That is exactly why I think it deserves a ten, because its just the GTA3 of this gen. It tells R* that while we think GTA4 is a 10, we expect this generations VC and SA equivalents to be 11s. I just kind of hope they go and revisit an old expansion like GTA London 1969 and bring it to this new generation.
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Posted: Oct 28th 2009 10:52PM (Unverified) said
I can't wait to buy it! This is what GTAIV should have been in the first place!
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Posted: Oct 28th 2009 10:56PM (Unverified) said
I loved GTA IV, and I wish I could play these but I can't because I have a ps3. I hope Rockstar doesn't do any exclusive stuff for the next GTA.
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Posted: Oct 28th 2009 11:41PM TheDarkWayne said
TLAD was an incredible experience, one of the deepest and most believable story and characters ive ever played. As a devout 360 preferer, i have to say exclusivity sucks for everyone, I'm real sorry for you : /
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Posted: Oct 28th 2009 10:59PM Discotheque said
That's awesome. But now that this is over. Bring on GTA V!!!
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Posted: Oct 28th 2009 11:08PM (Unverified) said
i would also love a remake of the oh so popular San Andreas.
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Posted: Oct 29th 2009 6:40AM (Unverified) said
I think LA Noire (ho ho ho remember that?) is the next project, followed by GTA V. But it's Rockstar so who knows.
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Posted: Oct 28th 2009 11:01PM (Unverified) said
I wish I could buy this, but I never really owned GTA4, I've played it A LOT at my friends house, and he also had LaD, which were both equally fun and engaging. Also, the main character in LaD (is his name Jimmy?) reminded me of Francis from L4D. I hate subways. I'm gonna go pick up a copy of GTAIV and 4000 microsoft points and live life. Virtually. The sun burns............ *hissss*
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Posted: Oct 28th 2009 11:07PM incubeezer said
If you're from the US, Best Buy's buy two get one free:
GTA IV
GTA VI: Episodes from Liberty City
Free Game!
Your total: $80
My total: $70 + free game
do itttt
Reply
GTA IV
GTA VI: Episodes from Liberty City
Free Game!
Your total: $80
My total: $70 + free game
do itttt
Posted: Oct 29th 2009 12:13AM TheDarkWayne said
the lead in TLAD was named Johnny Klebitz. He was also referred to as Johnny K, John Boy, Johnny Boy and Johnny the Jew
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Posted: Oct 29th 2009 12:15AM (Unverified) said
Billy called him Klebitz the Heeb at one point.
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Posted: Oct 28th 2009 11:01PM (Unverified) said
As expected, Eurogamer gives the lowest score to the American developer. Let's see what they do to MW2. Another 80? Assassins Creed 2 will get at least a 95 no matter what I'm sure.
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Posted: Oct 28th 2009 11:18PM TheyDidItFirst said
so you're saying a major European magazine has a hard-on for Canadians?
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Posted: Oct 28th 2009 11:43PM HunterGathers said
Quebec ≠ Canada
At least that's what I heard in Quebec
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At least that's what I heard in Quebec
Posted: Oct 28th 2009 11:46PM TheDarkWayne said
Eurogamer gives everything low grades. I bet AC2 will be lucky to get an 85
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Posted: Oct 28th 2009 11:59PM TheyDidItFirst said
Wow, what's with all the completely unfounded opinions around here? I really like Eurogamer's reviews. Halo 3, Street Fighter IV, and Uncharted got 10s while Arkham Asylum, Forza 3, Shadow Complex, Demon's Souls and Killzone 2 got 9s.
Unlike most sites and magazines, they don't hand out 8s and 9s with impunity, they have a spread of scores in which 7 actually equates to average, 8 to good, 9 to great, and 10 to incredible. Sorry they don't fulfill the imaginary obligations you imagine for them based on your decision that anything below and 8 is shit. Honestly, most games deserve a 7, and when Eurogamer rates a game highly it's far higher praise than the same score from IGN or Game Informer.
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Unlike most sites and magazines, they don't hand out 8s and 9s with impunity, they have a spread of scores in which 7 actually equates to average, 8 to good, 9 to great, and 10 to incredible. Sorry they don't fulfill the imaginary obligations you imagine for them based on your decision that anything below and 8 is shit. Honestly, most games deserve a 7, and when Eurogamer rates a game highly it's far higher praise than the same score from IGN or Game Informer.
Posted: Oct 29th 2009 12:02AM TheyDidItFirst said
Oh, one more thing. Assassin's Creed got a well-deserved 7 from Eurogamer.
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Posted: Oct 29th 2009 12:23AM Discotheque said
AC2 will be lucky to get a 60 if it's anything like the first game.
Oh but since this is Ubisoft it will get an inflated review of 90-100
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Oh but since this is Ubisoft it will get an inflated review of 90-100
Posted: Oct 29th 2009 12:31AM TheyDidItFirst said
Discotheque -
Are you illiterate or just a complete moron?
Assassin's Creed, Tom Clancy's Endwar, and Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (which I actually would rate much higher), all Ubisoft games, got 7s. HAWX and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements got 6s. Haze got a 4!
Where the hell is this inflation you speak of?
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Are you illiterate or just a complete moron?
Assassin's Creed, Tom Clancy's Endwar, and Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (which I actually would rate much higher), all Ubisoft games, got 7s. HAWX and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements got 6s. Haze got a 4!
Where the hell is this inflation you speak of?
Posted: Oct 29th 2009 12:09PM aughscreennames said
Eurogamer doesnt review anything objectively. The scores mean nothing unless you have a favorite reviewer that shares your views. Eurogamer is notorious for giving bizarre scores that dont seem to make any sense based on their other scores. If you try to find some consistency and system in their reviews then youre wasting your time.
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Posted: Oct 28th 2009 11:06PM Look At This Suit said
I clicked on this article fully prepared to make this exact same comment.
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Posted: Oct 28th 2009 11:36PM jordanbiffle said
I was going to wait for this just be out on PS3 in a couple of months (lets face it, Rockstar always break exclusive deals) but I just decided my 360 can use something new.
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Posted: Oct 28th 2009 11:38PM TheDarkWayne said
Dammit, these reviews didnt tell me what I was most worried about! Is there any full frontal cock like in TLAD? Cause I do really not care for that. Ah, really excited for it anyway, cock and all. I used to be one of those people that hated GTA IV, I played Saints Row 2 way more, but then when TLAD came out, I replayed the main game and then TLAD, and i completely forgot any reasons i didnt like it, and then this is supposed to take away the complaints other people had, cant wait.
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Posted: Oct 28th 2009 11:51PM Stevetrop Man of Mystery said
I doubt that there will be any wangs in your face. Sure the guy the protagonist works for is gay but I don't think you will have to worry about penises flinging around in the game.
It's one of those crazy final chapters to a great game. We can only expect GTA:V to be wilder.
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It's one of those crazy final chapters to a great game. We can only expect GTA:V to be wilder.
Posted: Oct 28th 2009 11:52PM TheDarkWayne said
that's not fair to say it should have been in the game the first time. This isnt a 24kb download that unlocks something on the disc, this is a big expansion coming out more than a year later. I know that wasn't quite what you meant, and you meant the crazy explosiveness should have been in the game, but it really shouldnt have. GTA IV was quite literally that, GTA IV, not GTA Liberty City Again, not GTA San Andreas. It was the next step in the series, and the creators wanted and succeeded in making it a serious crime drama rather than a crazy cheat fueled romp. It's not what should have been in the game, it's just what you wanted.
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Posted: Oct 28th 2009 11:58PM nukee said
I get they went for the realistic approach. But don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved the game. It's just that there is little that makes me pop the disc back in and play for awhile like the last gen games did. That was all the fun and stupid stuff that you could do once you beat the game. All I'm asking for are the new vehicles and such that give it the classic GTA feel of insanity, they can keep the extra storyline.
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Posted: Oct 29th 2009 12:12AM WiredKnight said
I'm with you. I loved the game, but once you've played through all the missions a couple times, there's not much else to do.
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Posted: Oct 28th 2009 11:43PM ch3burashka said
I'm still pretty blown away at the fact that both episodes were 20 bucks. I recall a Dan Houser (Howser?) interview in which he said that GTA4 is a 60 dollar game, and any DLC will be priced/made accordingly.
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Posted: Oct 28th 2009 11:49PM TheDarkWayne said
There's tons of flexibility in that statement. It could be taken to mean that it's expensive so the DLC will be a way to reward you, or it could (and I guess it does) that the expensive razor has expensive blades
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Posted: Oct 29th 2009 12:04AM ch3burashka said
Are you insinuating that GTA4, with all that it had to offer (sans DLC) was and is expensive at 60 buckaroos?
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Posted: Oct 29th 2009 12:11AM TheDarkWayne said
no, but maybe he was. Maybe he meant "this is a full game, not an XBLA game or a budget priced 30 at release game"
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Posted: Oct 28th 2009 11:53PM HunterGathers said
"should have been in the game in the first place"
why complain so small? why not complain all games should have been pre-loaded on your PS3 before you bought it! all the games coming out now were planned before the PS3 launched! why not get what you pay for? companies only worry about money that they use to pay their employees and pay taxes on!
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why complain so small? why not complain all games should have been pre-loaded on your PS3 before you bought it! all the games coming out now were planned before the PS3 launched! why not get what you pay for? companies only worry about money that they use to pay their employees and pay taxes on!
Posted: Oct 29th 2009 12:07AM WiredKnight said
I was under the impression that it was the ONLY thing he drank.
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Posted: Oct 29th 2009 12:42AM jynxycat said
Just finished the dlc and clocked in at 9 hours with little to no side missions completed.
The characters are great as ever. Brucie's relatives make an appearance, which is hilarious. The club scene characters are solid. The new 'villians' are colorful.
Also, the way the game begins during an intense scene from the first game and the way Rockstar once again melds Luis' missions into both 4 and TLAD past missions is flawless. The diamond story also comes full circle.
My main gripe is that the difficulty factor towards the end is low.
Definitely worth the dlc price, Rockstar can do no wrong.
Reply
The characters are great as ever. Brucie's relatives make an appearance, which is hilarious. The club scene characters are solid. The new 'villians' are colorful.
Also, the way the game begins during an intense scene from the first game and the way Rockstar once again melds Luis' missions into both 4 and TLAD past missions is flawless. The diamond story also comes full circle.
My main gripe is that the difficulty factor towards the end is low.
Definitely worth the dlc price, Rockstar can do no wrong.
Posted: Oct 29th 2009 12:56AM (Unverified) said
Luckily for us, ed hardy clothing is one of the few labels that never go out of fashion.
ed hardy
Reply
ed hardy
Posted: Oct 29th 2009 2:21AM Bubbameister33 said
I'm surprised that spam bot didn't reply to your post with links to its site.
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